The idea of relocating the city center wasn’t Lynch’s invention, but it was still a fresh concept in this world.

After Lynch introduced the theory, the nobles in the room were stunned—unable to fully process it.

Move the city center next to land you can afford if you can’t buy land downtown?

Is that even possible?

If it were, wouldn’t Gephra already be in chaos?

If the city center could be moved to the suburbs, many fortunes would instantly multiply!

So why hasn’t anyone done this before? Are they unaware, or is it simply impossible?

Their eyes showed confusion, curiosity, and shock as they looked at Lynch, like students amazed by a teacher solving a tough math problem.

Lynch didn’t prolong the mystery—these preschool-level nobles weren’t worth the suspense.

He swirled his glass of champagne, and the young Count immediately brought him more.

This gathering was a celebration of success—champagne was the perfect choice.

After a sip and a throat-clearing, Lynch laid out his city center relocation plan.

He gathered his thoughts and tied the idea to observable realities of this world to help everyone understand more clearly.

After a minute or two, he began: “In the Federation, city centers shift along with commercial hubs.”

“Wherever there’s a thriving business district and heavy foot traffic, that place naturally becomes a city center. In fact, many Federation cities have multiple centers—sometimes three to five, even two or three in each district.”

“That’s because the Federation prioritizes capital. Everything revolves around wealth. People follow commercial districts, so city centers move with wealth.”

“Gephra is different. Gephra prioritizes politics. Everything in society serves power and politics. So here, there’s an interesting phenomenon…” 𝗳𝐫𝚎𝗲𝚠𝚎𝗯𝕟𝐨𝘃𝚎𝗹.𝗰𝗼𝗺

He paused, letting the nobles ponder, then smiled, “Each city has only one city center, and it revolves around the political core.”

“Like here, in the Imperial Capital—the most prosperous area, the so-called city center, where is it?” Lynch looked at the young Count.

Almost instinctively, the young Count answered, “Imperial Zone!”

“Exactly!” Lynch pointed at him. “Why Imperial Zone?”

No one needed to answer; Lynch explained: “Because the palace, the prime minister, and the ministers’ offices are on Imperial Zone. So all prosperity revolves around Imperial Zone.”

Outside the palace lie government offices; Imperial Zone is Gephra’s most bustling area.

The first half is lined with luxury shops, a must-visit for tourists seeking Gephra’s traditional charm.

The latter half houses solemn, somewhat worn government buildings.

In this place where politics and power are supreme, everything follows politics and power—that’s the essential difference between Gephra and the Federation.

In the Federation, the presidential palace area is as quiet as a graveyard. No one would open shops near it.

Those areas are risky—prone to protests and riots—why bother?

Politicians maintain appearances and don’t shop for luxury goods under public scrutiny, so the presidential area never develops a commercial vibe; the city’s heart is elsewhere.

As Lynch spoke, some nobles began to sense his point but hadn’t fully grasped it yet. They watched him expectantly.

He continued, “My plan is simple. If we can’t buy large tracts in city centers of Amellian Province, we buy slightly further out.”

“Why invest now?” Lynch looked at the young Count, who looked puzzled, as did the others.

He emphasized, “Because the whole region is under redevelopment. We can push local governments to relocate city halls and related departments near our properties.”

“When power concentrates near our holdings, land prices will soar. Then we buy up land vacated by the relocated government offices downtown.”

“The Imperial Special Zone is unique. It will maintain political supremacy while capital and commerce grow stronger, inevitably creating a ‘dual-core’ urban structure.”

“We buy at the lowest point and watch prices rise!”

A dual-core city with dual momentum respects the Special Zone’s political nature while nurturing commercial growth. Power controls capital, and to avoid conflict, two centers will naturally emerge.

One center focused on power, another on commerce.

Lynch’s detailed explanation felt like a baptism—like opening eyes underwater to see the world’s true nature through clear water.

Everyone was stunned.

“Mr. Lynch…” The young Count’s admiration deepened. He felt nothing could stump Lynch.

The idol’s brilliance left him nearly speechless, hands trembling with excitement.

If he could choose his words better, manage his emotions, and drop some noble pride, a few swear words would be fitting here.

Lynch smiled modestly, nodded in acknowledgment, and quickly looked to the others. “Any questions?”

Questions? Impossible. With Lynch’s ocean-like wisdom, no question was truly a problem.

With the plan clear and no objections, Lynch secured his position. Developing Amellian Province was exactly what the emperor wanted.

He didn’t want to be an example of failure. It was best to approve Lynch’s proposal.

Meanwhile, as new talks began between the Federation and Gephra, society was stabilizing.

Even the issue of printing more currency was briefly discussed in the rulers’ hall. No decisions on amount or method were made, but all agreed more would be printed.

The topic stalled because the finance minister’s seat was vacant.

Deputies temporarily filled the finance roles, but many officials close to the minister were investigated for corruption.

The prime minister personally handled the purge, leaving no chance for anyone to cover up. Almost all powerful voices were removed.

Besides using some people’s crimes to appease the angry public, this was mostly to prepare for future power transitions.

“Your Majesty, the investigation into Harmony is almost complete. All shareholders of Harmony Capital are suspected of involvement in the fraud. So far, we’ve recovered over 60% of the funds, but more than 30% remain unrecoverable.”

The Emperor frowned and glanced at the Prime Minister. “Is Lynch involved?”

The Prime Minister shook his head. “He didn’t profit directly in any way. The Federation people say it was the idea of Richard, the CEO who committed suicide.”

“I heard Richard knew Lynch?” The Emperor didn’t believe Lynch had nothing to do with it.

Though his reason told him otherwise, he insisted on asking more.

The Prime Minister shook his head again, feeling the Emperor was obsessed with a trivial matter. Lynch might be annoying, but the Emperor shouldn’t focus on small issues.

“They were partners before. Later, Richard and his group stole money from Lynch, ending their cooperation.”

The Emperor sighed, regretful that Lynch wasn’t involved. “What about the rest of the money? Why hasn’t it been recovered? I don’t recall anyone fleeing the country.”

The Prime Minister nodded. “That’s correct, but the money was moved abroad through various means, into international accounts we can no longer trace.”

“Find a chance to clean these people out. The Empire owes them nothing. They harmed the Empire for their own gain.”

The Prime Minister didn’t specify who these people were, but the Emperor had some knowledge—certain underground banks and international money laundering groups had ways to smuggle the funds out.

With questions answered, a brief silence fell.

No one spoke, as if waiting for something.

After two or three minutes, the Defense Minister stood. “Your Majesty, the Finance Minister has resigned, accepting responsibility. This position is vital for us and the Empire. We must arrange a replacement promptly or risk hindering our development.”